| Breast
Reduction Surgery |
|
| About Breast Reduction Surgery |
 Breast
reduction is one of the most common reconstructive procedures
that plastic surgeons perform and breast reduction patients
are among our most grateful. As long as patients understand
the risks associated with this procedure, they are almost
uniformly happy with the results this procedure can deliver.
Like other body contouring procedures, this involves trading
scar for improved contouring. The breast is both reduced and
lifted in the process so that the nipple is elevated up on
the chest and the breast is given a much more natural and
youthful appearance. The procedure is typically performed
as an outpatient.
It is important for the patient and the surgeon
to talk before surgery about what the surgery can deliver
and about how large the patient wants the breasts to be following
surgery. Photographs are typically taken at the initial consultation
to facilitate a predetermination letter to the patient's insurance
company. Most insurance companies still cover breast reduction
but some do not. You should check with your insurance company
to determine if breast reduction is a covered procedure. Insurance
companies will often insist upon a preoperative trial of physical
therapy and/or weight reduction prior to authorizing breast
reduction surgery.
Preoperative markings will be made on the
patient's breasts the day of surgery. The goal is to lift
and reduce the breast in such a way as to produce a natural,
well-shaped breast following surgery. Minor asymmetries after
surgery can be resolved in the office under local anesthesia
if need be.
Dressings following surgery are usually removed
a couple of days after surgery and a week or so later patients
are placed back into a mild compression garment such as a
jogging bra. The swelling and bruising will disappear in the
first 4-6 weeks and it may take 6 months to a year before
the breasts settle into their final shape. Though the scars
from a breast reduction usually heal quite well, it is important
to realize these scars are permanent.
Brochure
on Breast Reduction |
|
| Preparing For Your Consultation |
Once you are scheduled for your consultation
there are a number of things you can do to help prepare for
the appointment.
If you have been treated by another physician
for any of the symptoms you are having, such as taking pain
medication or having physical therapy for back or neck pain,
bringing copies of those medical records with you will help
us in working with your insurance company.
You can download the questionnaire below
and complete it before your appointment. This questionnaire
helps provide us with the information needed to work with
your insurance company. By completing it prior to your appointment
and bringing it with you, you will be better prepared for
the consultation. |
| Consultation
Questionnaire to bring to appointment
|
As with all medical offices, when you first
come to our practice there are a number of forms which have
to be completed. As all of us have been patients ourselves,
we know what a headache forms can be. To help our patients,
we now offer these forms here on our website. You can download
the forms, complete them at your leisure, and bring them with
you to your first appointment. Please be sure to still bring
your insurance cards with you so we can make copies of them.
|
| Patient
Information Forms to complete and bring to appointment |
| |
Insurance Coverage
|
| General Information: Many patients have questions regarding
whether their insurance will cover a breast reduction. The
answer to this is complicated, especially because every insurance
policy has its own criteria for determining whether or not
the procedure will be covered. In recent years insurances
have developed increasingly strict criteria. You can click
here to download a page which will tell you more about this. |
Downloadable (Adobe pdf)
Breast
Reduction Insurance Information |
| |
| Medicaid |
| If you are covered by Medicaid, it becomes even more difficult
to obtain coverage as Medicaid has some of the strictest of
criterias for coverage. Below is information about coverage
by Medicaid. |
Downloadable (Adobe pdf)
Breast
Reduction Coverage By Medicaid |
| |
| Insurances and Body Surface Area |
Recently many insurances have begun using
a calculation called BSA or Body Surface Area as at least
part of their determination about coverage of breast reductions.
The calculation of Body Surface Area involves use of height
and weight.
Although we will do this calculation for you at your appointment,
we are providing information here on the calculation to assist
patients who are interested. To calculate your BSA click on
the link below to open the calculator in another window.
|
| BSA
Calculator |
| The BSA at which most insurances will consider a breast reduction
appropriate depends upon the insurance policy and the amount
of breast tissue (in grams) to be removed during the surgery.
However, as a general guideline most patients who have a BSA
of less than 2.00 are probably not candidates for coverage by
most insurance policies. This should not be considered a statement
of your insurance policy and is simply a guideline based on
our experience with patients and their insurance policies. The
best way to determine whether your insurance will cover the
procedure is to have a consultation with the surgeon and then
a predetermination letter is written to your insurance company.
Because every policy is different this is the best way to know
whether your particular policy would consider this a covered
procedure. |
